The Use of Three-Dimensional Photography and Printing in the Fabrication of a Nasal Prosthesis

Abstract

Objective: Facial prosthetic rehabilitation using additive manufacturing technology relies on data acquisition from computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Three-dimensional (3D) photography has become widespread in craniofacial and plastic surgery due to its ability to provide more comprehensive topographical data than radiographic techniques. Despite the rising popularity of 3D photography in preoperative planning, reports on the use of this technology for facial prosthetic rehabilitation are lacking. The present clinical report demonstrates the indirect fabrication of a nasal prosthesis using 3D surface-imaging by the VECTRA-M5 360 Head System.

Design: A 61-year-old woman presented with a nasal defect due to a partial rhinectomy secondary to multiple resections of recurrent basal cell carcinoma. After opting out of any further surgical intervention, the patient expressed a preference for prosthetic rehabilitation. Prosthesis fabrication using CAD/CAM technology typically relies on patient data from computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans for the 3D printing of the replica of the nasal defect. In this case, facial data was acquired by a 3D surface-imaging system using a 3D photograph captured by the VECTRA-M5 360 Head System.

Conclusions: Acquisition of facial data using 3D surface-imaging systems may be recommended for patients with external facial deformities to decrease subsequent radiation exposure. The integration of 3D photography and 3D printing provides a promising method for prosthetic rehabilitation that decreases total production time while minimizing radiation exposure.